Seafood Jambalaya
CREOLE SEAFOOD & ANDOUILLE JAMBALAYA
There are so many different ways to make jambalaya. In fact, it’s somewhat daunting to think about, so I haven’t made it much since I started cooking in general. I’m not huge on seafood gumbos or stews, or jambalayas for that matter, but that’s mainly because I only love fried shrimp.
At any big event in Louisiana, part of the catered menu I can guarantee, has jambalaya. Trays of it. I’ve always steered clear, because I know I can make better, and the recipe below is your chance to make it! So in my version, I use mussels. I still left some shrimp in there, a good amount too, because my guy wants those shrimps!
A big jambalaya meal isn’t complete without a good ole’ Louisiana beer. Our beer of choice if Abita Strawberry isn’t available, is of course, Purple Haze, y’all!
This pot of deliciousness has mussels! You can use 100% shrimp if you like, I personally just love mussels.
Get your best wooden spoons ready, it’s a potsticker of a meal!
SEAFOOD & ANDOUILLE JAMBALAYA RECIPE
Ingredients
4 strips bacon, chopped
2 cups yellow onion, diced
2 cups celery, diced
1 cup green bell pepper, diced
1 cup red bell pepper, diced
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
12oz smoked andouille sausage, sliced
1 cup tasso, diced, or smoked ham, diced
1 cup light - gold style beer
1 pound medium peeled shrimp (2 pounds if no mussels)
1 pound cooked mussel meat
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
1 can (10oz) diced tomatoes with green chilis, drained
1 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 cup green onion tops, chopped
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon hot sauce, preferably Tabasco
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
3 1/3 cups long grain white rice
4 cups seafood stock
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a large cast iron dutch oven ( I use at least a 9 qt) over medium high heat, fry the bacon. Remove from pot and leave the bacon grease in for sautéing the onions, celery and bell peppers.
After about 5 minutes, add in garlic, rosemary, andouille and the tasso or smoked ham, until the meat begins to brown.
Deglaze the pot by adding the beer and skimming the pot with a flattened wooden edge spoon. Add the bacon from the first step back in, and toss in the shrimp and mussels (or just shrimp), all tomatoes, parsley and green onions.
Add in the cayenne, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce and red wine vinegar to pot and stir.
Pour in the rice and mix into the pot to distribute evenly. Add in the seafood stock carton (4 cups) and stir again. Cover the pot and bake for 1 hour. DON’T lift that lid to even check it, or stir or look at it. Let it do it’s thing and cook.
After that hour, turn off the oven, remove lid to check if rice is cooked, and put back in oven covered to sit and steam a bit for 20 minutes. Then serve with more parsley and green onions if necessary! Which, it usually is.
